Course Listings

Chinese Studies

CHNSE 131 Elementary Chinese I (1)

Introduction to the fundamentals of spoken and written modern Mandarin Chinese. Classroom activity will center on oral-aural pattern drilling with student participation required. Emphasis will be on spoken Chinese but a Romanized writing system and Chinese characters will also be introduced. Language tapes will be available in the language lab and their regular use by students will be required.

Offering: Annually

Instructor: Zhang

CHNSE 132 Elementary Chinese II (1)

Introduction to the fundamentals of spoken and written modern Mandarin Chinese. Classroom activity will center on oral-aural pattern drilling with student participation required. Emphasis will be on spoken Chinese but a Romanized writing system and Chinese characters will also be introduced. Language tapes will be available in the language lab and their regular use by students will be required.

Offering: Annually

Instructor: Zhang

CHNSE 231 Intermediate Chinese I (1)

Continued emphasis on speaking and listening with an increasing emphasis on reading and writing. Classroom time will be spent on oral-aural drills, dialogues, reading aloud, listening comprehension, and the production and recognition of Chinese written characters. Students will be required to do tape work and written assignments outside of the class as well as in-class presentations in Chinese.

CHNSE 232 Intermediate Chinese II (1)

Continued emphasis on speaking and listening with an increasing emphasis on reading and writing. Classroom time will be spent on oral-aural drills, dialogues, reading aloud, listening comprehension, and the production and recognition of Chinese written characters. Students will be required to do tape work and written assignments outside of the class as well as in-class presentations in Chinese.

CHNSE 235 Chinese Language Practicum (.25)

This class has a two-fold purpose: to continue to develop proficient language skills in all aspects and to practice these skills through teaching or tutoring. In learning, we emphasize proficiency, and in teaching or tutoring, we stress accuracy and pedagogy. Various pedagogical approaches will be studied. Practice is carried out through various teaching opportunities on and off campus. May be repeated 2 times for credit.

CHNSE 254 (4th Sem Lang Req) Folklore and Identity (1)

This course examines various issues of identity through folklore practices in East Asia with focus on China. Topics include: language, ethnicity, myth and ritual, rites of passage, festivals, popular culture, folk arts, and Chinese/Asian American folklore and identity. Texts include those of Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist thoughts and of disciplinary studies. By surveying the topics, analyzing the key texts and contexts, the participants will not only gain the knowledge of the topics but also learn to apply some disciplinary methods to interpret text and practice. The course will include lectures, discussions, debates, presentations, and various projects.

CHNSE 258 (US) Gender and Mass Communication in Asia (1)

This course is an introduction to the study of gender and media cultures, with a focus on the Chinese cultural context. It provides an introduction to historical, theoretical, and methodological approaches involved in such study. It aims at encouraging comparative cultural studies through analysis and comparisons of gender in the Chinese culture with gender in non-Chinese cultures. No prior experience required.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Understanding Society

Offering: Alternate years

Instructor: Wen

CHNSE 269 Chinese Society and Media (1)

This course offers an introduction to the history, theory, economy, technology, and regulation of various forms of mass media in Chinese society. The distinctive characteristics of mass media in China will be interpreted in the Chinese context; students will also be introduced to comparative studies of media in other cultures. Students will explore the relationships between media and society as a means of better understanding Chinese culture as well as the relationship between cultures in a globalizing world.

Offering: Alternate years

Instructor: Wen

CHNSE 331 (IT) Third Year Chinese I (1)

Continued development of proficient language skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and translating. In addition, interpreting and analyzing text from cultural studies and media studies perspectives are strongly emphasized. Comparative analysis of translations will be integrated in the interpretation of text. Rapid vocabulary expansion, correct use of grammar points, proficient use of the language in spoken and written forms, critical views in understanding the content and means of media, and cultural analysis of the text are the major goals.

CHNSE 332 (IT) Third Year Chinese II (1)

By reading the selections from Chinese classics of different philosophical and literary schools, and by translating and comparing translations, participants will continue improving their language proficiency, meanwhile learning to read the original text, understand the interpretation, gain their own perspectives, and analyze the interpretation of the text through historical and social context. Readings include texts of such ideas a Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism, classic poetry, and modern fictions and non-fictions.

CHNSE 352 (US) Rites of Passage in Chinese Societies (1)

This course focuses on the rites of passage practiced by the Chinese in and outside China. The rites of passage includes the life-cycle rituals of birth-marriage-death, seasonal festivals, and other types like the rite of "firsts." Chinese ritual symbols like bell, flute, pig and cloud will be analyzed. Related issues like beliefs, tales, gender, age, and ethnicity will be studied in depth. Participants will learn and apply related ideas from various disciplines like folkloristics, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, linguistics, history and religious studies. The readings include translations of the ancient ritual books and contemporary studies. Historical and cultural context will be emphasized in understanding the Chinese everyday ritual practices. The goal of the course is to provide the students a platform to learn the subject as a body of knowledge, and as a disciplinary field, and to be equipped with some theories in understanding the making and maintaining of identity in multicultural environments.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Understanding Society

Offering: Alternate years

Instructor: Zhang

CHNSE 431 Reading in Humanities (1)

Continues to improve speaking, listening, reading and writing Chinese with materials on various subjects in physical and social sciences, as well as in humanities. Emphasizing a solid mastery of basic grammar and vocabulary, this course also focuses on improving linguistic competence and deepening the understanding of Chinese culture.

CHNSE 432 Introduction to Classical Chinese Texts and Thoughts (1)

Continues to improve speaking, listening, reading and writing of modern Chinese. Learn classical Chinese grammar, and read various classical texts. Translating classical Chinese into modern Chinese is daily exercise. Communicative competence and cultural understanding are emphasized. Different ancient thoughts are introduced along with the texts from Confucian, Daoist, Legalist, Yin-Yang, and other schools.

CHNSE 490-491 Reading and Conference (.5 or 1 each)

Designed to enable the participants to function with modern Chinese in various areas, and to introduce classic Chinese. The in-depth reading, discussion, conference, and composition cover topics such as literature, history, philosophy, religion, and folklore. In addition to the textbooks, materials from the media on current issues as well as films will also be included.

CHNSE 499W Senior Seminar (1)

Provides a framework for students to develop a research project or other equivalent activity in consultation with faculty. The objective of the Senior Year Experience will be to consolidate and integrate the student's knowledge of Japan and/or China and the fields of Japanese Studies and/or Chinese Studies. Conducted in English.